258 THE WONDERFUL HOUSE THAT JACK HAS 



from that which the oculist intended, and so the full 

 benefit from the lenses is not received. Another 

 danger is that they are not always put on at the same 

 angle, thus giving the muscles the extra strain of ac- 

 commodating themselves to different positions. Since 

 spectacles will prove less expensive and more ser- 

 viceable, they are certainly far better than nose-glasses 

 for most persons, even though they may not seem 

 quite as pleasing. All know we can see through dusty 

 windows much less clearly than through those that are 

 clean. The same thing is true of eye-glasses. On 

 this account they should be frequently cleaned. 



The service our eyes will perform, when properly 

 protected and cared for, is truly marvellous. And yet, 

 no doubt, there are many who have never had the full 

 enjoyment of seeing. Mr. Francisque Sarcey, who was 

 born with the defect of nearsightedness, gives the fol- 

 lowing interesting account of his experience : "One day, 

 for fun, I got hold of the large silver spectacles my 

 father used to wear, and put them on my nose, as chil- 

 dren will do in play. That was fifty years ago, yet the 

 sensation experienced is still vivid in my memory. 

 I uttered a cry of astonishment and delight. Before 

 that day I had never seen the foliage which arched 

 above my head, except as a large, compact, green 

 sheet, through which no ray of light penetrated. 



"All at once I saw with surprise and rapture that 

 there were openings in the dome through which the 

 light penetrated ; that the foliage was composed of 



